The Fit File

It turns out that you do not necessarily need to max out your credit card for a sweet home gym setup or restrict yourself to the confines of a gym to ensure you are on the path to jacked-ness.

As a consultant at a fitness equipment retail store, my job requires me to promote the benefits of working out, particularly in a non-gym setting. Being smart about your home workout plan means staying green. Three definitions:

1) Green means envy.
Make people jealous with your sweet bod! Pretty straightforward.

2) Green means cash.
More of it stays in your pocket in the long run compared to a gym membership.

Treadmills and home gyms are great options, but let us be realistic as students and focus on the cheap. I mean, spending a ton of cash on workout equipment is certainly an option, and by all means, if you are looking for ways to blow your OSAP money, come and see me. But let’s be honest, that is an even worse idea than the Canada Goose jacket and the trip to Cuba last semester. Instead, invest in a quality pair of runners for jaunts around your neighbourhood or some plyometrics in the park, a TRX suspension trainer for a unique spin on strength training, or even the P90X program – all items that can easily keep you under the $200 mark.

3) Green means foliage.
If your home is not spacious enough for raucous exertion of energy, move your workout outdoors!

Forests and fields make for a way better workout environment than stationary cardio machines and floor mats anyway. With the exception of days with pouring rain or stifling heat, you cannot beat the freedom of training outdoors. A run through a forest (with a buddy is a good idea) or drills in a soccer field are some of my favourites.

Read more from Jenn at inthebeginningwasmuscle.wordpress.com

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